The National Archives

Education Service

Great Fire of London

Preparation materials for videoconference (KS1) Teacher’s notes

Document 1: ZMAP 4/18 An Exact Surveigh of the Streets Lanes and Churches contained within the ruins of the City of London.

Document 2: EXT 11/160 Hearth Tax return for Pudding Lane.

Transcript 1: EXT 11/160 Hearth Tax return for Pudding Lane.

Document 3: MPEE 1/25 Extract of the Agas Map.

Document 4: SP 9/171 Extract of Charles II’s declaration to London in 1666.

Transcript 2: SP 9/171 Extract of Charles II’s declaration to London in 1666. Students do not need to do any work in preparation for this videoconference. Please do not show students copies of the following documents before the session. However, if there are students who have visual impairments and may have difficulty viewing the screen during the session, please enlarge copies of the documents for them to refer to.

This session will introduce pupils to The National Archives and to some of the famous documents connected with the Great Fire of London, including maps of London before and after the fire, and the original hearth tax return for Pudding Lane with an entry for ‘Thomas Farriner baker’, and his oven!

As students encounter these fascinating documents, they are guided through the process of working with original source material to investigate the past. Students are encouraged to question how they know about an event that happened beyond living memory, and to look for evidence to support their knowledge of the past.

Background Information

The Great Fire of 1666 swept through the city of London, gutting most of the medieval city, destroying parish churches, thousands of homes and wiping out landmarks such as St. Paul’s Cathedral. Starting in Thomas Farriner’s bakery in Pudding Lane, strong winds and timber buildings built close together caused the fire to spread quickly. The fire forced thousands of Londoners to flee their homes and caused havoc through the city.

The fire resulted in reformed building regulations, with Charles II declaring that ‘no man shall presume to erect any House or Building, great or small, but of Brick, or Stone’. St. Paul’s Cathedral was also re-built by Sir Christopher Wren. Despite radical proposals to transform the design of the city, these ambitions were not realised and the city was largely reconstructed on the basis of the old medieval street plan of the city.

Useful links

Teacher resources and student activities: http://www.fireoflondon.org.uk/

Try out our online lesson: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/fire-of-london/ An Exact Surveigh of the Streets Lanes and Churches contained within the ruins of the City of London Hearth Tax return for Pudding Lane

### Hearth Tax return for Pudding Lane

| Name | Quantity | |-----------------------------|----------| | Henry Toogood playsterer | 4 | | 1 stove | 1 | | Sarah Easton tallowchandler | 4 | | 1 stopt up | 1 | | Thomas Brookes fishmonger | 2 | | Robert Berry cowper | 3 | | James Langdale porter | 1 | | Abraham Robberts | 1 | | Mary Merrifield | 1 | | Henry Browne taylor | 3 | | Edward Ratcliff victualer | 7 | | Daniell Harris cooper | 5 | | Nathaniell Doggett chiruagion | 5 | | Empty | 4 | | Thomas Dalton scrivener | 5 | | Katherine Coker widow | 1 | | Mary Whittacre widow | 2 | | George Porter plasterer | 3 | | Widdow Gander | 1 | | Benjamin Burstow | 1 | | Thomas Knight Glasier | 4 | | Alice Spencer | 4 | | Empty | 3 | | John Bibie turner | 3 | | Thomas Farriner baker | 5 | | 1 oven | 1 | | William Ludford plasterer | 3 | | 1 stop up | 1 | | Jones | 2 | | Susanna Noest | 3 | | Empty | 3 |

**Pudding Lane, The East side**

| Name | Quantity | |-----------------------------|----------| | Richard Peele hooke & eye maker | 4 | | Mary Collier cooper | 7 |

**Fish yard**

| Name | Quantity | |-----------------------------|----------| | Hugh Amies porter | 3 | | Leake parish clearke | 2 | | Henry More waterbearer | 1 | | Thomas Birt sexton | 1 | | Widdow Thomas | 1 | | Empty | 5 | | Empty | 4 |

**Lambe Yard**

| Name | Quantity | |-----------------------------|----------| | William Burgis hook & eye maker | 3 | | Joshua Sands plateworker | 2 | | Empty | 3 | | Nicolas Carter hook & eye maker | 5 | | Widdow Grimes | 1 | | John Wardley clothworker | 4 | | William Walter smyth | 3 | | John Wells porter | 2 | | John Hasleby porter | 2 | | Widdow Pawley | 2 | | William Greene turner | 2 |

**Transcript 1: EXT 11/160** Extract of the Agas Map In the first place the woful experience in this late heavy visitation hath sufficiently convinced all men of the pernicious consequences which have attended the building with Timber, and even with Stone it self, and the notable benefit of Brick, which in so many places hath resisted and even extinguished the Fire; And we do therefore hereby declare Our express Will and Pleasure, That no man whatsoever shall presume to erect any House or Building, great or small, but of Brick, or Stone, and if any man shall do the contrary, the next Magistrate shall forthwith cause it to be pulled down,

all other eminent and notorious Streets, shall be of such a breadth, as may with Gods blessing prevent the mischief that one side may suffer if the other be on fire, Extract of Charles II’s declaration to London in 1666

In the first place the woful experience in this late heavy visitation hath sufficiently convinced all men of the pernicious consequences which have attended the building with Timber, and even with Stone itself, and the notable benefit of Brick, which in so many places hath resisted and even extinguished the Fire; And we do therefore declare Our express Wil and Pleasure, That no man whatsoever shal presume to erect any House or Building, great or small, but of Brick or Stone, and if any man shal do the contrary, the next Magistrate shall forthwi

all other eminent and notorious Streets, shal be of such a breadth, as may with Gods blessing prevent the mischief that one side may suffer if the other be on fire, .

Simple transcript:

Firstly, the sad experience of the fire has shown us all the bad results of building with wood, and even with stone, and the good benefits of brick, which in so many places did not catch fire. And it is the King’s wish that no man shall build any house or building, large or small, unless it is made of brick or stone. And if any man does not do this, his house will be pulled down.

All of the main streets shall be wide enough to (God willing) stop a fire spreading from one side to the other.